Newhouse no to Laws over letter

THE Labor campaign is preparing for a legal challenge if its
candidate for Wentworth, George Newhouse, wins on Saturday,
defeating the high-profile Environment Minister, Malcolm
Turnbull.

Mr Newhouse rejected last-minute demands yesterday to release a
letter that could clarify legal questions about his right to stand
after the 2UE talkback host John Laws asked him on air five times
to fax the letter to him so he could read it out.

Mr Newhouse's campaign has been buffeted by claims that his
right to run for Parliament is in doubt because of the timing of
his resignation from a position on the State Government's Consumer,
Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. Legally, a candidate is required to
resign an "office for profit" under the Crown before they
nominate.

The Herald last week revealed that Mr Newhouse's
resignation letter did not carry a date. Since then the State
Government, Mr Newhouse and Labor headquarters have declined to
release the letter. "Why don't you just fax me a copy of the
letter? I'll read it to the people," Mr Laws asked Mr Newhouse on
air yesterday.

The Labor campaign has released a legal opinion stating Mr
Newhouse's candidacy is legal because under state law his position
on the tribunal automatically ended when he nominated for office.
That opinion has been disputed by one released by the Liberal
Party. Mr Turnbull has strongly indicated the Liberals would
challenge if Mr Newhouse won, raising concerns among Wentworth's
100,000 voters they will face a byelection.

The Herald had been told that a local campaign worker
would take responsibility for not dating the resignation letter but
this strategy appears to have been ditched, with Mr Newhouse
instead digging in and rejecting calls to release the letter.

This week a Herald/Nielsen poll showed Mr Newhouse ahead
of Mr Turnbull, 52 per cent to 48 per cent after Greens
preferences.

Yesterday, Mr Newhouse's 22-year-old campaign director, Rose
Jackson, found herself under attack in the media over leaked emails
from her time as president of the Australian Union of Students
criticising Zionism. Wentworth has a significant Jewish population
and Mr Newhouse is Jewish. Mr Newhouse defended Ms Jackson. Ms
Jackson also released a statement saying: "I support Israel. I
support Israel's right to exist."

1195321867191-smh.com.auhttp://www.smh.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/newhouse-no-to-laws-over-letter/2007/11/21/1195321867191.htmlsmh.com.auSydney Morning Herald2007-11-22Newhouse no to Laws over letterMarian WilkinsonFederalElection2007FederalElection2007News